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- Cabinet Decision on the Cabinet Order for the Partial Revision of the Enforcement Order of the Act on Preventing Mercury Pollution of the Environment
Cabinet Decision on the Cabinet Order for the Partial Revision of the Enforcement Order of the Act on Preventing Mercury Pollution of the Environment
December 24, 2024
On December 24, 2024, the Cabinet approved on the Cabinet Order for the Partial Revision of the Enforcement Order of the Act on Preventing Mercury Pollution of the Environment. The Fourth and Fifth Meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (COP-4 and COP-5) decided to phase-out the additional mercury-added products, including certain batteries and fluorescent lamps. In accordance with decisions, the revision is to regulate these products as “specified mercury-using products” in Japan.
1. Background on the revision of the Enforcement Order
The Act on Preventing Mercury Pollution of the Environment (hereinafter referred to as the “Act”) aims to protect human health and maintain the integrity of the living environment by ensuring the reliable and smooth implementation of the Minamata Convention and taking necessary measures targeting the manufacture of specified mercury-using products as efforts to prevent mercury from polluting the environment.
The Convention requires the Parties to take appropriate measures for the manufacture of a certain mercury-added products. In line with this, under the Act, Japan has defined these products as “specified mercury-using products” listed in Article 1 of the Enforcement Order of the Act and it has been regulating their manufacture.
2. Outline of the revision of the Enforcement Order approved by the Cabinet
In line with the decisions made by the COP-4 and COP-5 (held during the period from March 2022 to November 2023) to phase out the additional mercury-added products (certain batteries and fluorescent lamps) the Cabinet Order is to revise Article 1 of the Enforcement Order of the Act in order to add these products (excluding the same types of products to which certain measures have already been conducted) to that Article.
3. Future Schedule
Promulgation: Friday, December 27, 2024 (tentative)
Enforcement: January 1, 2026, January 1, 2027, and January 1, 2028, depending on the decision of the COP-4 and COP-5.
Related Materials (in Japanese)
- Bill of the Cabinet Order and the reasons(PDF:83KB)
- Summary(PDF:25KB)
- Comparison of the prior and revised provisions(PDF:82KB)
- Referential provisions(PDF:138KB)
Division in Charge
Chemical Management Policy Division, Industrial and Products Safety Policy Group